Hussein Darwiche.

DETROIT — Hussein Darwiche, a long-time surgeon at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), has been appointed the chief surgeon of joint replacement at the DMC, making him one of the first Arab Americans to take on such a leadership position.

Darwiche said that while he is honored to take on the responsibility, the designation provides him with an opportunity to repay the community he grew up in with better health and to nurture future orthopedic surgeons.

“I belong to two communities, the Arabic community and the community of medicine,” he said. “And I feel like I owe medicine just as much as I owe my own heritage.” 

With multiple clinics and subspecialty physicians stationed throughout Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, Darwiche said Arab Americans and other community members should feel safe with a hospital located in their backyard capable of undertaking complex surgeries and other health issues.

Darwiche, who performed more than 600 successful surgeries last year, said every single case was exciting.

“Joint replacement is one of those specialties that when you operate on people, you make them better and improve their quality of life,” he said. “I found my niche helping the elderly who are in pain.”

According to Darwiche, the DMC tackles cases unseen in many major hospitals nationwide.

“The injuries that we see are unbelievable,” he said.

On an almost daily basis, Darwiche has witnessed patients with gunshot wounds, those who have jumped off high buildings and multi-trauma patients who are admitted to the emergency department.

“It’s on us to provide that patient with the best care to get him back into life and back into the workforce,” Darwiche said.

For many Arab Americans, Darwiche is their go-to joint replacement expert. Speaking Arabic and understanding the culture is crucial to developing honest bonds with patients who hold privacy dearly. The relationship between Arabs and their doctors has historically had a troubling history.

Although Arabs have come a long way, Darwiche said minorities tend to wait too long to address their health problems, compared to non-minority patients. He urged people to come forward sooner to treat their illnesses.

Although surgery is Darwiche’s most notable talent, utilizing his skills to mentor students to become great doctors is one of the most important and rewarding aspects of his career.

Last year, Darwiche, who is the assistant program director for the Wayne State University and DMC orthopedic surgery program, won WSU’s Teacher of the Year Award.

“I feel obligated to pay back to future orthopedic surgeons, teach them how to operate surgery and how to be safe and just be a good surgeon,” he said.

Being involved in academics allows physicians to perfect techniques and contribute to medical research, Darwiche said. It also opens a surgeon up to criticism. He added that being involved in research and academics is a “true testament to your commitment to the field of medicine.”

Darwiche said he believes there’s an epidemic plaguing prospective doctors in the community. As they graduate from medical school, their sole focus is opening clinics; but they shy away from academic involvement.

He said it’s not just about the bottom line, working at a clinic and living a comfortable life.

“You’ve got to make your presence felt,” he said. “You’ve got to go out and teach; you’ve got to show your skills.”

Darwiche advised future surgeons to follow a philosophy he lives by – treat every patient as a family member and to not underestimate every step of treatment and surgery.

“As long as you treat everyone as a family member, you’ll sleep well at night,” he said. “Just be conscientious, do the right things and work hard at learning techniques for you to be safe, so patients feel the difference in their care.”

He added that after joining the DMC, he pioneered a change in culture there, drastically improving patient treatment outcomes.

Darwiche was born in Beirut and said witnessing the atrocities of war drove him to want to help people from a young age. He grew up in an average family, but his father’s admirable work ethic propelled him to immigrate to the United States in 1993. He held a handful of odd jobs and attended WSU for undergraduate studies, graduating in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry.

While interning at the DMC, he received his medical degree from WSU’s School of Medicine in 2005. He completed his residency at the Cleveland Clinic in 2010 and graduated with a fellowship in joint reconstruction a year later.

Darwiche excelled at the DMC for almost five years and said he cherishes the opportunities he was given to accomplish what he had his mind set on since childhood.

“I truly believe that I would not have had the same opportunities in any other country in the world,” he said. “My family is extremely proud of the fact that we were given a chance to pursue what we believe in and what we love; and that you can become anything you want.”